Biden says Russia satellite weapon does not pose nuclear threat

WASHINGTON

President Joe Biden laid out Friday the most detailed explanation of what the US knows about an alleged Russian anti-satellite weapon, saying it does not pose a nuclear threat.

Biden said Moscow has yet to decide to proceed with the weapon's development, but noted that it is geared towards damaging satellites in orbit.

"There is no evidence that they have made a decision to go forward with doing anything in space," the president said at the White House. "What we found out, there was a capacity to launch a system into space that could theoretically do something that was damaging, hadn't happened yet. And my hope is it will not."

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner warned Wednesday of a "serious national security threat," and demanded Biden publicly release all information concerning it.

The announcement came after National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan scheduled a meeting with a core group of lawmakers, including Turner, to discuss classified information the US obtained about the weapon.

The threat had largely remained a mystery until the White House confirmed Thursday that it was a new Russian anti-satellite capability.